In connection with point-of-purchase merchandise display, it is a common and widespread practice to utilize display arrangements including perforated panel boards on which are mounted a plurality of display hooks. The display hooks typically have lugs received in the panel board openings and have outwardly extending hanger sections formed of rigid wire. The wire hanger sections extend generally straight out from the panel board and are provided at the outer end extremity with a slightly upturned end portion. Display merchandise in the form of bags or cards, provided with an opening in the top or header portion, can be received over the end of the wire hanger and hung for display. The display articles may then be removed one at a time by being withdrawn outwardly over the slightly upturned end of the hook. An advantageous form of such display hook is represented by, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,993. However, the present invention is directed generally to various types and styles of wire display hooks, as will become apparent.
Experience has shown that, under certain circumstances, the outwardly extending tip extremity of a wire display hook may constitute a safety hazard. For example, in a case where a relatively long wire hanger, which is located in a poorly lit area, is exhausted or nearly so of its merchandise and is near the walking areas used by customers and/or store personnel, it may be possible for a person to have accidental contact with the exposed tip of the hanger. Such contact could result in potentially serious injury, in cases where the hangers are located near eye level, as is often the case. It has been proposed heretofore to minimize the likelihood of injury from such display hooks, as by forming a round ball at the end extremity of the hook, or by placing a plastic or other smooth protector over the end of the hook. While such arrangements do constitute an improvement, they still fall short of the desired level of safety, because of the inherent rigidity of the hook. Even where a smooth cover is utilized, the covered portion of the hook retains its basic rigidity, capable of causing serious injury to soft eye tissue, for example.
In accordance with the present invention, a novel and improved form of resilient protective tip for display hooks is provided, which can be manufactured and utilized at an extremely small increment of cost and yet which affords a remarkably superior level of safety protection as compared to equipment heretofore available for the purpose. In this respect, the protective tip element of the invention, in addition to being formed of a soft, yieldable material, is formed to provide a substantial length of hollow, tip extremity, unsupported by the rigid wire of the hanger, and which will readily yield if contacted.
In accordance with one of the significant features of the invention, the outstanding safety aspects of the invention are realizable in a protective tip element which is capable of easy and inexpensive application to display board hooks of existing design and construction. In this respect, it will be understood that hundreds of millions of such hooks have been sold and are in regular use, such that complete replacement of existing hooks is a highly undesirable alternative. The device of the present invention, on the other hand, can be quickly and easily put in place by unskilled workers, so that the conversion of existing hooks to incorporate the protective feature is economically realistic and practical.
The protective tip of the invention is of hollow, generally cylindrical form, made out of a soft, resilient, plastic based material, such as polyvinyl chloride. The element may be formed by dip coating on a mandrel preform, arranged to provide several significant structural features. To this end, the mandrel preform is shaped to provide an internal shoulder at about midlength of the protective tip. This shoulder, advantageously constituting an annular restriction in the internal configuration of the tip, forms a positive stop when seated against the outer extremity of the hanger wire. Thus, the protective tip is automatically properly positioned on the display hanger, when it is pushed over the tip of the wire until seated against the internal shoulder. The dipping of the mandrel preform is also arranged to be carried out in a manner to provide that the inner or open end extremity of the hollow tip element tapers to a relatively thin annular edge at the extremity. This facilitates removal of carded and other display merchandise from the protected display hanger.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, and to the accompanying drawing.